14/03/2020

Iceland Gull

With mush lighter winds today this mornings sea watch was very slow, though the return of the Iceland Gull was good, albeit some what brief and distant as it disappeared to to the fishing boats on the horizon, also it's always nice to adult drake Eiders barrelling past the hide.

 06.55-08.55 joined by OL

Brent Goose: 5E

Eider: 1E drake

Common Scoter: 37E       1W

Red-throated Diver: 52E    7W

Great-crested Grebe: 7 on

Gannet: 7E

Cormorant: present n/c

Oystercatcher: 2E     3W

Kittiwake: 7E   

Black-headed Gull: present n/c

Mediterranean Gull: 3E

Common Gull: present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Herring Gull: present n/c

Iceland Gull: 1 (image looks like the 2w bird)

Sandwich Tern: 1E

Auk sp: 3E

Peregrine: 1 present

Harbour Porpoise: 2

Tree Sparrows on Walland

As it was a pleasantly mild and fairly still day I decided to have a long walk out the back of Scotney onto Walland Marsh to check on the Tree Sparrow flock, at least 35 were still present, despite the attentions of Kestrels, Sparrowhawks and Merlin. There were plenty of Skylarks singing but only found 2 Corn Buntings.

Skylark down the Well

I thought I'd have a rest by sitting on the side of a concrete well, I don't why I looked down into the well, but glad I did as I saw a Skylark about floating on the water surface  approx. 2.5 mts down. After a couple of minutes of thinking about how I was going to help it out, I came up with the idea of cutting some reeds from a nearby ditch (fortunately had a pen knife in my jacket) and binding them together to make a sort of rope come cradle that I could manoeuvre under the Lark and lift it out. To my astonishment the cradle held  together for the few seconds required to lift the Lark out. It was obviously sodden and cold so I left it a sheltered tussock in the sun to hopefully dry it and warm it. It was still alive a few minutes later when I started back.

The offending Well

Spoonbill

After lunch I thought I'd have a walk around Dengemarsh in the hope of LRP or Garganey, I'd just got into my car when I recieived a message from David Scott about a Spoonbill on Dengemarsh. A couple of minutes later I parked up at Springfield Bridge just in time to see the Spoonbill appearing to fly off towards Tanners Pool, fortunately David kept his eye on it and saw it land back at Dengemarsh.

When I eventually got to Dengemarsh hide the Spoonbill was doing what they always seem to do, not a lot. While there the Black-necked Grebe put in an appearance. around the hay fields 6 Ruff were showing well on 1 and there were 2 Ringed Plovers and a Lapwing on 3, though water was being pumped on to a rapidly drying 3. In the reeds a Bittern Boomed and Beardies were pinging, making today an excellent days birding.

Black-necked Grebe in front of Spoonbill

Ruff on the Hay Fields